Drape support



June 23, 1942. DEM-E 2,287,471

DRAPE SUPPORT Filed March 14, 1940 nvv'smon. 08542 7' E; 05/75/17-ATTORNEYS.

Patented June 23, 1942 UNlTED s'rrss TENT OFFICE 9 Claims.

This invention relates to the art of drape supports used in connectionwith caskets for the purpose of providing a suitable backgroundtherefor.

The object of the present invention is to devise such a support in whichthe several parts are permanently connected together and may be readilycollapsed and folded into compact form for convenience in transportationof the same.

More specifically, the object is to devise a collapsible support inwhich the base, uprights and drape-supporting bar or bars are connectedtogether in a permanent manner and may be extended to occupy operativeposition or collapsed and folded into compact form when not in use,these adjustments being effected without discon necting any of theparts.

Other objects will appear from the following description and claims whenconsidered together with the accompanying drawing.

' Fig. 1 is an elevation of my device in extended position;

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the same;

Fig, 3 is an enlarged view taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged partial view of the top of the device and showsthe arrangement ofthe parts; and

Fig. 5 is a detail view of the ring nut, means for securing the sectionsof the collapsible uprights in extended position.

It is to be understood that the present form of disclosure is merely forthe purpose of illustration and that there may be devised variousmodifications without departing from the spirit of my invention asherein set forth and claimed.

Referring now to the accompanying drawing in detail, the base I is ofsubstantial dimensions and is provided with the parallel track grooves 2and 3 which extend lengthwise of the base and substantially from end toend thereof. At the right-hand end of one track and at the lefthand endof the other track there are the upright casting 4 and 5, respectively,with tubular upwardly extending portions 4 and 5' opening inwardlytoward each other for engagement of the lower part of the bottom sectionof the telescopic uprights 6 and 1, respectively, so as to hold the samein upright position, as will be explained.

Slidably engaged in the track grooves of the base are the two footmembers 8 and 9 to which are pivotally connected the lower ends of thetelescopic uprights 6 and l at the points If) and l l. Each foot membercomprises an inverted T- member 8" and 9, respectively, which has itslower horizontal portion engaged within the track groove for slidablemovement therealong, While the threaded pin l2 extends upwardly from thevertical portion of the inverted T-member, in each instance,so as toreceive the wing nut l3. The split locking member I4 is adapted to fitdown over the upright portion of the T-member to permit the pin I2 toextend therethrough; so that upon tightening the wing nut E3, the memberM will be forced downwardly against the base member while the horizontalpart of the T-member will be pulled up against the inner surface of thetrack groove, thereby firmly securing the foot member in set position.When so engaged after the telescopic upright supporting members havebeen extended, as indicated in Fig. 1, they will be securely held insuch position. This, of course, is the position of the parts when thedrape support is in use.

The collapsible uprights 8 and "I each comprises three sections,according to the present form of illustration. These sections can besecured in extended position by means of the familiar ring nut I5 ineach instance; and upon releasing this nut, the telescopic sections canbe collapsed within each other, as will be readily understood.

The main transverse drape bar it at the top has the depending endportions which are pivotally connected to the ends of the top-mostsection of the telescopic upright, in each instance, and such connectionis indicated by the reference numeral 29.

The side arms l8 are pivotally connected to the vertical ends of themain transverse bar l6 and are adapted to be turned about a verticalaxis so as to be placed in any desired position, either in extension ofthe main drape bar or at any desired angle with respect thereto. Thearms l8 are secured in position by means of the wing screws l1.

The end arms I9 are pivotally connected to the ends of the side arms illfor adjustable turning movement about a vertical axis, thereby providinga still further extension for the support of the drape. The end arms arecurved rearwardly although they may be given any other desired form. Theend arms l9 may be secured in desired position by means of the wing nuts21.

The main drape bar is of double form, as indicated in Fig. 2, so as topermit a baclzground drape to be suspended from the rear part thereofand a valance or the like to be suspended from the front part thereof,thereby providing a combination of drapes which may be of differentcolors, as will be understood.

It will be observed that that main drape bar I6 is of substantially thesame length as the base so that when the auxiliary arms 3 and I9 arefolded inwardly, the device can be collapsed to occupy practically thesame space as the length of the base. This is accomplished by looseningthe nuts of the telescopic members and collapsing the same tosubstantially the height of the lower-most section of the upright ineach case. Then, upon loosening the wing nuts l3, the foot members canbe slid along the tracks in opposite directions, as indicated in dottedlines in Fig. 1, whereupon the foot members will pass each other andfinally come to occupy positions at the opposite ends of the base fromwhat they occupy when in upright position. This folding action is madepossible by the pivotal connections between the upper ends of theuprights and the drape bar and also the pivotal connections between thebottom ends of the uprights and the foot members. If so desired, thewing nuts may be tightened after the device has been folded down intocollapsed position in order to hold the parts more securely in suchfolded position.

It will be observed that the pivotal connections between the upper endsof the uprights and the drape bar and those between the bottom ends ofthe uprights and the foot members have their axes parallel to each otherand transversely of the tracks, thereby permitting the manipulationabove described.

In collapsing the device in the manner referred to, the drape can befolded in with the arms I3 and I9 and then folded in any suitable manneras the device is lowered into collapsed position, without removing thedrape from the support. If so desired, the collapsed device can beplaced in a container or case of proper size for transportation of thesame. In fact, the entire base structure can be built into such acontainer as a permanent part thereof, although the base itself is alonesufiicient to serve as a dependable means of support for the entiredevice. Or, only the castings at the ends of the base might be built inthe container as a permanent part thereof and the tracks omittedentirely or some other suitable means adopted in the bottom of the casefor guiding the lower ends of the uprights during the folding andunfolding adjustments, if so desired. However, it is preferred that thetracks or the equivalent thereof be included as part of the device so asto facilitate the manipulations in the manner above described.

The folding and unfolding operations, as above explained, can beperformed in a simple manner and without any danger of injury to thehands of the user, and there is nothing to get out of order.

In referring to the connections between the several parts as beingpermanent, this word is employed in the sense that these parts remainconnected during the collapsing and extending of the device, althoughthese parts might be removable from each other at any time desired sofar as the present combination is concerned. Thus, for all intents andpurposes of the present device when operated in the manner described,the connections may be said to be permanent but without involving anycomplications or extraordinary hardships in the manufacture and assemblyof the parts thereof.

What I claim is:

1. A drape support comprising a base of substantial length, a pair offoot members operatively connected to said base and mounted for slidablemovement past each other, each being slidable throughout substantiallythe entire length of said base, a pair of spaced uprights having pivotalconnection at their lower ends with said foot members, and, ahorizontally disposed drape bar having pivotal connection with the toppart of said uprights, said pivotal connections being about parallelaxes transversely of the length of said base, whereby said uprights anddrape bar may be folded down tog-ether upon said base, and means forholding said uprights in upright position.

2. A drape support comprising a base of substantial length, a pair offoot members operatively connected to said base and mounted for slidablemovement past each other, each being slidable throughout substantiallythe entire length of said base, a pair of spaced collapsible uprightshaving pivotal connection at the lower end thereof with said footmembers, and a horizontally disposed drape bar having pivotal connectionwith the top part of said uprights, said pivotal connections being aboutparallel axes transversely of the length of said base, whereby saiduprights may be collapsed and folded down with the drape I bar upon saidbase, and means for holding said uprights in upright position.

3. A drape support comprising a base of substantial length, a pair offoot members operatively connected to said base and mounted for slidablemovement past each other, each being slidable throughout substantiallythe entire length of said base, a pair of spaced telescopicallycollapsible uprights having pivotal connection with said foot members,and a horizontally disposed drape bar having pivotal connection with thetop part of said uprights, said pivotal connections being about parallelaxes transversely of the length of said base, and the length of saidcollapsed uprights and drape bar being substantially the same as thelength of said base, whereby said uprights may be collapsed and foldeddown with the drape bar upon said base, and means for holding saiduprights in upright position.

4. A drape support comprising a base of substantial length, said basehaving a pair of parallel tracks extending substantially the entirelength thereof, a pair of foot members each having permanent slideengagement with one of said tracks so as to be slidable past each otherin opposite directions, a pair of spaced uprights each having permanentpivotal connection at its lower: end with one of said foot members, anda horizontally disposed drape bar having permanent pivotal connection atits ends with the top part of said uprights, said pivotal connectionsbeing about parallel axes transversely of the length of said base and ofsaid tracks, whereby said uprights and drape bar may be folded downtogether upon said base, and means for holding said uprights in uprightposition.

5. A drape support comprising a base of substantial length, said basehaving a pair of parallel tracks extending substantially the entirelength thereof, a pair of foot members each having permanent slideconnection with one of said tracks so as to be slidable past each otherin opposite directions, a pair of spacedtelescopically collapsibleuprights each having permanent pivotal connection with one of said footmembers, and a horizontally disposed drape bar having permanent pivotalconnection at its ends with the top part of said uprights, said pivotalconnections being about parallel axes transversely of said tracks,whereby said uprights may be collapsed and folded down with the drapebar upon said base, and means for holding said uprights in uprightposition.

6. A drape support comprising a base of substantial length, a pair ofspaced collapsible uprights, a horizontally disposed drape bar havingpivotal connection between its ends and the top of said uprights on axestransversely of the length of said base, upwardly extending meansprovided at the ends of said base for receiving and anchoring the lowerends of said uprights in upright position, said anchoring means havingtheir inwardly facing sides open to receive the lower end portions ofsaid uprights and being of sufilcient vertical extent to hold saiduprights in upright position, and means for securing said uprights infixed position within said anchoring means, whereby the lower ends ofsaid uprights can be released from said anchoring means and movedinwardly past each other along said base so as to collapse the same andat the same time cause said drape bar to be lowered into collapsedposition thereupon.

7. A drape support comprising a base of substantial length, a pair ofspaced collapsible uprights, a horizontally disposed drape bar havingpivotal connection between its ends and the top of said uprights on axestransversely of the length of the base, upwardly extending meansprovided at the ends of said base for receiving and anchoring the lowerends of said uprights in upright position and being of sufficientvertical extent to hold said uprights in such position, and means forsecuring said uprights in fixed position within said anchoring means,whereby the lower ends of said uprights can be released and removed fromsaid anchoring means and moved past each other along said base so as tocollapse the same and at the same time cause said drape bar to belowered into collapsed position thereupon.

8. A drape support comprising a pair of spaced collapsible uprights, ahorizontally disposed drape bar having pivotal connection between itsends and the top of said uprights on horizontal axes transversely of thelength of said drape bar, upwardly extending means for receiving andanchoring the lower ends of said uprights in upright position, saidanchoring means having their inwardly facing sides open to receive thelower end portions of said uprights and being of sufficient verticalextent to hold said uprights in upright position, and means for securingsaid uprights in upright position within said anchoring means, wherebythe lower ends of said uprights can be released from said anchoringmeans and moved inwardly past each other so as to collapse the same andat the same time cause said drape bar to be lowered into collapsedposition thereupon.

9. A drape support comprising a pair of spaced collapsible uprights, ahorizontal disposed drape bar having pivotal connection between its endsand the top of said uprights on horizontal axes transversely of thelength of said drape bar, upwardly extending means for receiving andanchoring the lower ends of said uprights in upright position and beingof suflicient vertical extent to hold said uprights in such position,and means for securing said uprights in fixed position within saidanchoring means, whereby the lower ends of said uprights can be releasedand removed from said anchoring means and moved past each other so as tocollapse the same and at the same time cause the said drape bar to belowered into collapsedposition thereupon.

ROBERT R. DE MENT.

